Xenosaga: Sleeping Beauty
by Moonstone 04
Summary: [Xenosaga] Over thousands of years, their story unfolds... [inprogress]
1. The Second Coming

Xenosaga: Sleeping Beauty   
by Moonstone 04

----

The Second Coming

Half bowing and half crouching to avoid the noisy helicoper propellers, the casually dressed Dr. Masuda squinted up at the sliding door. Stepping out of the helicopter was a young man, wearing black jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved black silk shirt. Masuda had met him in person only once before, and he knew it was extremely rare for him to appear in public. Even the black fedora and round-lensed red sunglasses didn't entirely mask his bizarre features.

"Master Wilhelm, this is an unexpected surprise!"

"Today is a very special occasion, isn't it?" Wilhelm spoke loudly over the noise as he held onto to his hat brim to keep the wind from blowing it away. "I had to come down and see it personally."

"Of course, it's absolutely incredible!"

As they moved away from the helicopter with the Vector logo emblazoned on the tail, Masuda noticed that the dust that gusted around them didn't stick to Wilhelm. His striking pale skin and the pristine black clothing was untouched by the grime that coated Masuda. Unnatural snowy locks waved from beneath the fedora.

Leading the way through the tents and abandoned dig sites, he realized that the Vector CEO wasn't accompanied by any sort of entourage, not even a bodyguard. The longer you were in his presence, the more you understood why this was. Despite his small, slender frame, everything about Wilhelm exuded raw, unabashed power. Those who didn't expect it could be easily cowed by it. Masuda knew this was the case when random site workers in their path would stumble away from them in bewilderment.

"I trust the site is completely secure?"

"Yes, just as you requested." Masuda said. "Since we found it this morning, no one has gone near it. Even without the order, I think most of my men are too afraid to even think of going near the shoreline. It made a very impressive entrance. ...And then there's that." Coming to a stop, he pointed overhead.

Against the darkening purple sky, a lonely white star was shining brightly. It was several times larger than any normal star, and twinkled with a brilliant light. "When the object was revealed, it shot a beam of light into the sky, and it was like the heavens literally opened up. One moment it was clear skies, the next, we were soaked with rain. It didn't last very long though. And when it cleared up, that light was there, way up in the sky."

Wilhelm laughed softly. "What do you suppose it is?"

"I haven't the damnest clue. But you know, I have this funny feeling I've seen it before, a long time ago. I just can't remember for the life of me. Can't imagine how I could forget seeing something like that."

"Oh, you haven't completely forgotten. At least, not yet." Wilhelm looked skyward, the star shining scarlet red in the reflection of his sunglasses. "That, Dr. Masuda, is the Star of Bethlehem. I'm sure you've heard of it."

"Huh?"

"Except, there are no more wisemen to follow it." He turned to Masuda. "So let us continue to follow it ourselves, and see what it is we'll find beneath it." Now leading the way, Wilhelm continued toward the lake site.

Even more mystified than before, Masuda followed along. "Really, Master Wihelm..."

"You had a tragedy three months ago, is that not right?"

For a moment, Masuda couldn't speak. Even if Wilhelm was an eccentric man, that was an unexpected subject for him to have brought up at that moment. "Y-Yes, sir."

"I heard about the accident, it was all over the news. A freak train collision, most unfortunate. I'm told your son was exceptionally talented. Tell me, how old was he?"

"He was sixteen."

Wilhelm nodded slowly in thought. "Can you still remember what he looked like? What his voice sounded like?"

"Yes." Masuda's chest clenched. Why did Wilhelm insist on bringing up such a painful subject? This was supposed to be a joyful occasion, the first he had experienced in a long while.

"That's good. That means he still lives in your memory."

"Sir..." 

"We're almost there." Wilhelm stopped suddenly. "Dr. Masuda, I must now ask you a serious question. If I could give your son back to you, would you be willing to give him to me in return?"

"What? Master Wilhelm, you can't be serious."

"I did say it was a serious question, did I not?"

"But that's...just..." Masuda stared in disbelief at the strange man before him. "Sir, my son is dead. You can't give him back to me. It's impossible."

"We stand on the threshold of a new age," Wilhelm said gently. "Nothing is impossible. All you need is to believe in me. Are you willing to follow me, Dr. Masuda? Are you willing to give up everything for me?"

Feeling very disturbed, Masuda just stood there for several moments. He had never seen anyone with such sincerity in his eyes. It sounded like a cruel joke, or pure madness. But when he looked at Wilhelm, he couldn't help but believe. Whether it was that look in his eyes, or that aura of power, something about the man made you believe.

"I would do anything to have Joshua back." 

His serene features breaking into a blazing smile, Wilhelm turned towards Lake Turkana. Surrounded by broken lakebed, an ancient etched road stretched out before them. Hellish red cracks glowed within the road, possibly caused by the volcanic activity in the area. Possibly. The road reached far across the lake, coming to an end in the deepest waters. There, floating above a massive, grasping pedestal, was the surreal golden monolith. The giant blue jewel at its center seemed to be alive, as light constantly shimmered and flowed within it. And far above all this, was the star.

"I think we should have a closer look, don't you?"

Stone and dirt crunched beneath their feet as they stepped onto the road. A soft, barely noticable vibration echoed through the structure. "I don't know if this is safe yet." Masuda said, speaking in a hush, though he didn't know why. "Shouldn't we wait for the-"

"There's no need to worry." Wilhelm assured him.

The closer they got to the object, the stranger the air became. It felt like walking through static-charged cotton. Just as Masuda was about to suggest turning back, Wilhelm came to a stop. They were only a few feet away from the end of the road.

"Do you feel it?" Masuda asked.

Wilhelm smiled at him. "Yes. It's truly remarkable. Thanks to you, Dr. Masuda, a brand new horizon lies before us. Therefore, it's only right that you be the first to take a glimpse at it."

"Thank you...but I still don't understand."

"Step closer." Wilhelm gestured towards the monolith. "And you will see."

Masuda told himself that the glow in those red sunglasses was only the reflection of the light. There was no reason for so much apprehension. Leaving Wilhelm behind, he ventured closer to the end. His neck craned back to get a better look at the enormous golden monolith. This close, the strange energy coming off of it was washing over him like a cold wind. It came in waves, making his hair raise from his skin. Rubbing his arms, he was only a few steps from the end of the road, when he saw something flash directly above him.

"He's responding." Wilhelm sounded pleased.

It was the star. It was descending.

Frightened, Masuda backed away. Flashing as it passed over the water, the light came towards them. Then it stopped, and there was a sound like a crystal chime.

From within the light, something emerged. Like a newborn, a slender young boy descended headfirst from the star, spiraling down towards them. When he had completely appeared, the light disappeared, as if the boy had unraveled from the star itself. Just when it appeared he would collide with the road, his body twisted like a cat, landing him in a kneeling position. One fist to the ground, and his silver-haired head bowed low, the boy did not move.

Once the initial shock had passed over him, Masuda shot an incredulous look back at Master Wilhelm. But Wilhelm, who had removed his sunglasses to reveal his equally crimson-colored eyes, did not look back at him. Instead, he just stared down at the boy, his features completely blank and unreadable.

Turning around to face the boy, Masuda dared to get closer. Cautiously kneeling down beside him, he tried to get a better look. "Uh...hello?"

Completely nude, the boy was as dark complexioned as Masuda himself, but there was faint luminescence clinging to his skin and hair. Trying to convince himself whether or not he was hallucinating, Masuda touched the boy's shoulder. At the touch, an intense surge traveled up his arm, and he quickly yanked back his hand with a hiss. He looked at his hand, but it was unharmed. It had felt like an electric shock. There were tingles still going up and down his arm.

When he turned back, he gave a short yell, and fell back onto his hands. He had been suddenly confronted with two unearthly blue eyes, staring back at him. Their glow and color was the same as the monolith jewel...but that wasn't what made Masuda stare in complete shock. It was impossible...

"J-Joshua?"

The hair was silver instead of dark brown, and the eyes were glowing aqua instead of warm amber...but it was unmistakably his son. Slowly blinking, the boy looked back at him without recognition. It was unbelievable. It was insane. It was real. 

His son was alive again.

Ignoring the intense shock of energy that assaulted him, Masuda pulled the boy into a tight embrace. It could have seared him, and he still wouldn't have let go. He was never going to let go again. Shaking, he cried tears of joy into his hair.

"Now do you understand, Dr. Masuda?"

Wilhelm was now smiling down at them. There was a triumphant look in his eyes, still fixed on the boy. The hand that wasn't holding his sunglasses was clenching and unclenching compulsively.

"How...?" 

"Everything will come in time." Wilhelm reached out for the boy's hair.

Suddenly, the youth recoiled with a cry, hiding against Masuda's shirt.

His hand paused in the air, Wilhelm's eyes narrowed for a moment, before he slipped back into an easy smile. He withdrew his hand, and put his red sunglasses back on. "He seems to be disoriented. Not surprising, but he'll gradually recover. Keep him hidden until everything is conveyed to the facility."

"Master Wilhelm, how can I ever..."

"Take care of him." Wilhelm turned, and started back down the road. "But don't forget your promise. He is no longer your Joshua. He is Yeshua. And he is mine."


	2. Rennes le Chateau

Xenosaga: Sleeping Beauty   
by Moonstone 04

----

Rennes le Chateau

"There you are. I don't blame you for wanting some fresh air, but I wish you would tell me before wandering off."

"You were sleeping. I didn't want to bother you."

"That never stopped you before. How many Christmases did you kick me out of bed before dawn?"

Yeshua smiled at his 'father.' "Sorry about that."

Beneath the wide starry sky, wind ruffled through the tall grasses surrounding them. It was a remote place of vast rolling hills and scattered copses. For the most part, it still looked exactly the same as it had thousands of years ago. To Yeshua, it was a sacred place. Standing on the same ground, and beneath the same sky, caused him pain. 

"Just try to be careful, okay?" Masuda said gently. "Master Wilhelm was really concerned the last time you disappeared. I barely convinced him I could handle looking after you and the research at the same time."

Yeshua's mouth set into a grim line. "Don't worry. No matter what he thinks, he doesn't own me."

Unfortunately, this did nothing to assure the anxiety on Masuda's face.

"Hey, one of the lab techs told me I have a surprise coming tomorrow." Yeshua said, changing the subject. "You know anything about that? Hopefully nothing involving more tests."

Not that those tests had lasted very long. Any sensitive equipment they brought near him had overloaded and broken down. Then when Wilhelm heard about it, he had warned them to halt all further testing on him. Since then, Yeshua had regained more of his memory, as well as his ability to control his waveform, so he no longer caused as much of a disturbance. But as he did not wish to share these details, he was still restricted from entering certain sensitive areas.

"You're kidding? I swear, for a secret research facility, this place is filled with gossips. It's a wonder the castle doesn't have a sign telling everyone where we are." Masuda sighed, rubbing his head.

Yeshua laughed. "So, does that mean you know what the surprise is?"

"Yeah... But a surprise isn't a surprise if you already know about it." Masuda crossed his arms. "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see what it is. But I can promise, it has nothing to do with tests."

"That's a relief. I don't mind waiting for nice surprises."

"You've been more patient about all this than I thought you would be. I expected you'd want to get back to home and school. Although, I really don't know if you'll ever be able to go back there."

"It's okay. In a way, this place is like a home away from home."

"Is that a crack at my housekeeping skills?"

"Not at all." Yeshua smiled. 

"This place has the most unorganized library I've ever seen. And you know I'd never let my books get that filthy! There must be at least a millenia of dust layered in there!"

"No doubt of that. People forget things very easily over time."

"True. It's such a shame. There's a wealth of wisdom that humanity possessed in the past, that we chose to forget. A part of ourselves that we lost long ago. I think that's why we continue to suffer...if we could only unlock that lost secret, the world would finally be at peace. Maybe that object we found...the Zohar, is the key."

"You really think so?" Yeshua wrapped his arms around himself. The rigid fabric of the yellow jumpsuit he wore crinkled loudly. It was the basic uniform that identified those that worked within the facility. "Why is it that people always look for the answers to their problems in the beyond? When the power to ease their suffering lies within?" He paused uneasily. "At least, that's what I believe."

Masuda gave him a fond look. "You sound so much like your mother, you know that?"

The wind whispered a long, high note. Then rushing through their hair and clothing, it flew away over the hills. Yeshua turned to watch it.

"It's a wonderful ideal." Masuda said. "But people are very slow to change, and I don't think our world has much time left."

"I don't think the world is as fragile as that. At least, no more than people themselves are. Even if it becomes very bad, we'll grow and recover with time. And gain strength and understanding from our experiences."

"You're still young, so you still haven't seen the kind of situation the world is in. Our resources are running out. The planet can barely support us anymore. The Zohar offers the potential for limitless power. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, just what we've learned in a few weeks of studying it. It could literally change our world forever. No more wars, no more hunger, the possibilities are endless. If it brought you back...maybe it could also be the key to defeating death itself."

Yeshua's arms tightened around himself with a sinking feeling. "A child who plays with fire will be burned."

His brow furrowing with concern, Masuda put a hand on his shoulder. "Joshua...I mean, Yeshua-"

"Call me whatever you like." Yeshua smiled comfortingly. "It's all the same to me."

This only seemed to cause Masuda's face to worry further, but he didn't have a chance to say anything more. Because suddenly, a high-pitched voice came calling out across the hill, causing them both to turn around.

"Dad! Dad!"

A small boy was running up the slope towards them. He was wearing jeans and a green hooded sweater, so that he gave the impression of two huge amber eyes charging at them. Tiny tufts of dark brown hair stuck out from beneath the hood. Seeing a child outside this late at night was unexpected, but even more surprising was the intense aura of light surrounding him. His presence almost made it seem like daylight. Yeshua felt his waveform rumble in response to the boy, and he stepped back in shock. 

"Abel?" Masuda looked just about as shocked as Yeshua, although he certainly couldn't see the light. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't arriving until tomorrow morning!"

"I was, but..." The boy, Abel, stopped talking when he saw Yeshua, and stared blankly.

"...I had been meaning to drop by, so I thought I'd give him a ride. I think I got more than I bargained for, I can barely keep up with him." Wilhelm came walking over the hill from the same direction Abel had come. "He's so full of energy. Wouldn't you say, Yeshua?" 

"Joshua?" Abel looked heartbreakingly confused.

Yeshua glanced away for a moment, at Wilhelm. The man had an insufferable smirk on his face. With long practiced control, Yeshua looked away, and smiled gently down at Abel. "Yeah... It's me." Once again, he felt loathing for Wilhelm rise within him.

When the boy practically flew into him, Yeshua's knees buckled, and he collapsed. He hoped it looked like he had done it on purpose. He embraced the ecstatic boy, feeling very overwhelmed himself. He had never come across a human with a will that bright... He had not encountered such powerful animus since...

"...your hair? And your eyes are funny. Was it because of the accident?"

"Something like that." Yeshua said. "It's good to see you again."

"Yeah..." About to break into tears, Abel threw himself at Yeshua again. "I missed you! Don't go away again!"

Over Abel's shoulder as he comforted him, Yeshua glared coldly at Wilhelm. Neither Abel or Masuda could see, and Wilhelm just smiled with an equal coldness in return. 'We need to talk.' Yeshua demanded telepathically.

'Yes, we do.' Wilhelm tucked a hand into one pocket. "Don't worry," he assured Abel, "we'll be taking very good care of your brother. But I think, Dr. Masuda, that you should show Abel to bed. It's been a long day, and he needs rest. Tomorrow you'll have plenty of time to catch up."

"I'll be there in a little while." Yeshua told them.

"Don't stay out too late." Masuda looked back with a hint of worry, looking between Yeshua and Wilhelm.

Minutes later, Masuda and Abel had disappeared into the dark cave that led into the complex deep beneath the castle. Still, neither Yeshua or Wilhelm spoke for a long while. The stars watched them with bated breath.

"Is it absolutely necessary for you to be such a cruel bastard?"

Wilhelm broke into loud laughter. "Oh, please. You're the one playing along with it. There's nothing stopping you from telling them the truth. Spare me your hypocrisy, Yeshua."

"Damn you. I either destroy them a second time by telling them their son and brother is truly gone, or continue to mislead them into a false happiness. You would use me to inflict cruelty and pain...!"

"Yes, that is reality, isn't it?"

"Why did you bring me back?" Yeshua nearly snapped. "After all you did...!"

"There's that hypocrisy again." Wilhelm's voice rose momentarily, a sharp edge to his otherwise calm voice. "Let's just call us even, now, shall we? In fact, the reason you're here now is so I can finally make amends for what occurred in the past."

"Amends?" 

"Yes. For all the wrongs I have committed."

There was a short silence, while Yeshua stared at Wilhelm uncertainly. He honestly did want to believe it. He really did. But... 

"The last time you tried to make amends, you killed me."

"Don't be overly dramatic. I didn't kill you."

"I died." Yeshua frowned. "Because I trusted you."

"Stop complaining." Wilhelm said with a punctuation of anger. Then his voice lightened again. "It was necessary. For what is happening now, it was necessary."

"I can't listen to this." Yeshua turned away in disgust. He couldn't deal with this now. Without excusing himself, he started towards the castle.

"It was the only way," Wilhelm's voice called after him. "In exchange for your life, they agreed to give me the Prima Materia."

Yeshua jerked to a halt.

"Now do you understand why you are needed, Yeshua?" Wilhelm smiled smugly.

"W-Where...?" Wide-eyed, Yeshua turned back around. 

"Somewhere safe."

"Please, let me see-"

"In time." Wilhelm said firmly. "Between the two of us, I believe I have more reason to be cautious. When the time is right, you will have it."

Yeshua swallowed, feeling as though a leash had been tightened about his neck.

"I have waited over two thousand years," Wilhelm said, almost to himself. "If I can wait that long, you can wait just a little while longer."

"Why so long? If you've had it since then..."

Wilhelm smiled condescendingly. "There's little room for mistakes. I had to plan carefully. So, what do you think of young Abel? A fitting name for one of your bastards."

"The boy?" Yeshua restrained the heat of anger that rose at Wilhelm's words. "I haven't seen a human with animus like that since..."

"...Yes, his will shines like none other. Even though the light of your Descendants has weakened since the early days, the old blood has emerged once more. Both the mother and the father were direct lineage. I knew from the moment I first saw Joshua...he looks exactly as you did back then. Remarkable, is it not?"

"You're going to try harnessing its power again. You're going to use Abel..."

Wilhelm laughed softly. "You are correct." 

"...Why? You saw what happened last time."

"That was over ten thousand years ago. I am no longer a naive child, Yeshua." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I will not make the same mistake twice."

Yeshua's unease was growing. Something was very wrong. 

"For all our differences," Wilhelm continued, "we are not so unalike. You know what it is to remember...to remember just enough, to know just how much we have forgotten. Don't you want more than this? Don't you want the truth?"

"You have what I want."

Wilhelm's eyes flashed crimson. "Indeed." He paused, before taking his hand from his pocket. "Now, I'm afraid I can't stay any longer. There are important matters I must see to in the village. Good night, Yeshua, it was good to speak to you again."

"Good night." The lone boy on the hill watched the figure in the black suit walk away. Eventually, Wilhelm seemed to melt into the darkness.

What did Wilhelm mean... The truth? Yeshua's feeling of unease was turning to nausea. He could feel the power in the other's wake. Wilhelm was bending fate around himself, into something unspeakable. A horrible calamity, unlike anything he had felt before. 

What was he planning? What was he going to do with Abel?

Closing his eyes, Yeshua turned his face skyward. The night breeze played through his silvery hair, and caressed his face. It whispered too quietly for him to hear. 

"Miriam..." he whispered back. 

A train rattled noisily somewhere in the distance. Other than that, and Abel ambling beside him, Yeshua felt he might as well be walking back through time. The countryside had hardly changed at since the last time he'd seen it. As they strolled down the grassy fields, birds that had lived there for countless generations twittered through the wide blue skies. Further down, church bells tolled, echoing throughout the little village of Rennes le Chateau. 

"I've never been to France before," Abel chatted merrily. "Aunt Hikari says she and Dad grew up here, you know that? Mom too."

"Is that so? I didn't know that." Yeshua smiled. "I really like it here."

"Me too. Mr. Wilhelm would have brought along Fatima, but she has a bad flu. So she's still staying with Aunt Hikari. Wait 'til she sees you!"

"Um...who's Fatima?"

"Uh, our sister..." Abel gave him a strange look.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I guess my memory still isn't entirely there."

"Oh... Dad told me about that." Abel nodded. "I don't blame you, I'd probably forget about her too. She can be a real pain."

Yeshua laughed. 

Abel ran a little ahead, as they started down a steep slope. Stopping near the bottom, he looked back up as Yeshua was still approaching the half-way point. "Man, you take forever. And you look like a garbage man. Everyone in town is probably going to expect you to take out their trash."

"Hey, I can't help it. This is what everyone wears."

"Sure, if they're a garbage man."

When Yeshua finally reached the bottom, Abel grabbed the top of his yellow jumpsuit and pulled him down. This was so he could reach the yellow cap. Masuda had only agreed to let Yeshua go out into town if he wore it. His shoulder-length silver hair was tucked up into it with bobby pins. It wasn't perfect, since his bangs still stuck out defiantly, but it made him a little less conspicuous. At least, as much as someone wearing a blinding yellow jumpsuit could be.

Abel twisted the cap brim to the side, so it sat on Yeshua's head at a skewed angle. The younger boy raised an eyebrow skeptically, then shook his head with a sigh. "It's not much of an improvement, but it's better than nothing."

Continuing along, they found a small dirt road. It looked well-trodden, if only by few people. He gradually recognized exactly where they were. Sure enough, within moments, a solitary little cottage appeared as they passed a tall thicket. Even if it wasn't the same cottage, it was standing in the same spot. He paused in the road and stared at it. Almost as if, by waiting long enough, she would come out the front door the way she always did...

"What is it?"

Spell broken by Abel's voice, he looked away down the road. "Nothing. Let's keep going." Passing by the little picket fence, he went on, Abel trailing after him. He didn't look around again until they were well past it.

When they came to a fork in the road, Abel decided to stray from the main path. Yeshua followed, knowing where it led. Sure enough, they were soon wandering through a very old cemetery. The grass was sparse here and there, while sprouting up wildly in patches elsewhere. Especially around the tombstones that Abel peered at as he walked through them.

"You're looking for someone." Yeshua said matter-of-factly, noting how carefully Abel looked at each stone he came across. 

"Yeah. Mom is supposed to be buried here."

"Oh..." He looked over the gravestones, looking for a Masuda. "I'm afraid I don't remember her. What was she like?"

Abel grimaced for a moment. "I don't know. She died when I was little."

"Was her name Elhaym?"

"Yeah, are you starting to remember?"

"No, but there's an Elhaym Masuda here." Yeshua gestured to the gravestone he was standing beside. Abel quickly hurried to his side.

As if to prove to himself that it was really there, Abel reached out and touched his fingertips to the stone. After watching a few moments, Yeshua did the same. This was something he understood. The confirmation of something you couldn't truly touch, but knew to be a part of yourself. 

"I wish she was still alive. Things would be better if she was."

"You think so?" Yeshua crouched down beside the gravestone and looked up at Abel.

"I know so. You used to tell me that before Mom died, Dad was around all the time. Now, he's almost never around. Like after what happened to you, he went to Africa. This is the first time I've seen him since then. Me and Fatima are always left behind with Aunt Hikari. If Mom was still alive, we could be a real family again."

A deep sadness resonated in Yeshua' heart. "Abel, your father loves you."

"I guess. But..." His voice trembled.

Yeshua gathered him in his arms and held him. Abel hugged onto him. As much as he wanted to tell him everything would be alright... Yeshua couldn't bring himself to lie to him about that. All he could do was comfort him.

"You're such a wuss." Abel finally said, in a small voice.

Yeshua smiled to himself.

When he pulled back, Abel reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, faded photograph. "Maybe this'll help you remember too." He handed it to Yeshua.

The picture was old, faded, and yellowed. It looked well-loved and long pocket-carried. The image was of a young girl with long red hair. She was wearing a flowing dress and a cross necklace. She looked so much like...

His heart clenched.

"That look on your face...you remember!" Abel exclaimed.

Yeshua forced a smile. "Yeah, I guess a little bit." He gave the picture back. "Hey, you wanna go on a little adventure? There's a great place I know of. It's kinda a long walk, but I think you'd like it."

"Sure!"

Leaving the cemetery, they went further down the road. Yeshua led them through a path that circled them around to another backroad. After crossing the railroad tracks, they came onto a stretch of gravelly pavement that went nowhere. This place rarely saw people, if the old deserted gas station by the road was any indication. This was what drew Abel's attention, but Yeshua was more interested in a trail that was hidden just a few feet away from the road.

"Is this the place?" Abel asked, as they came across a little wooden shed. Like so many things, the flimsy structure stood forgotten in a meadow, its original purpose and origin lost to the passing of time.

"No, that's not it." Yeshua smiled. "We still have a long way to go."

The trail through the woods was long and winding. The lush scenery was still as beautiful as he remembered it, and he was glad to share it with Abel. How many times had he walked this same path and crossed the same babbling waters with his own children? How many times did he come here with her...to be alone? This had been his joyful place, during a time when he had believed the worst days to be far behind them. Or maybe he had been so happy, he'd wanted to believe it would never end. 

"You okay?" Abel asked worriedly. "You look kinda sad."

"Hmm? My shoes are a little soggy from when I slipped in the creek, but other than that, I'm fine. I probably just need a little nap."

"Already? You always sleep too much." Abel grinned, apparently satisfied with this answer.

Eventually they came out of the forest, as the trail reopened onto gently rolling hills. There had been some changes to the landscape since the first time Yeshua had walked down this path. Tall wind turbines dotted the horizon, like bizarre sentries. They disturbed the feeling of walking through the past that he had been experiencing, a stern reminder of where he really was.

"We've been walking a long time. Are you sure you know where we're going?"

Yeshua smiled at the boy. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's not much further now."

There were no more winding trails. This path was as straight as it was long. Towards the end, a thicket disguised what lay ahead, but it soon became clear as the grass gave way to sand. They felt the salty breeze gusting past them and heard the rolling waves long before reaching the end of the path. Upon realizing where they were, Abel laughed and ran ahead, kicking up sand as he went. Yeshua followed the excited boy towards the surf.

The beach.

Sinking to one knee, Yeshua sat in the sand. This place had once been a new beginning. The starting point of a new life. He closed his eyes as memories flooded over him, a flood as turquoise blue as the waters...as blue as her eyes...

_  
"They'll never find us here. Never." Her arms outstretched, she danced in circles, a beautiful vision in the moonlight. Silver rings of water rippled around her._

"After all this time, they still..."

"Yeshua. They don't understand us. Not even he really did. No matter what Ormus does, they'll never be able to take this away from us."

"Please don't talk like that. I won't let anything happen to you."

Behind her footsteps, silver light trailed back through the black waters. She finally came to sit beside him on the sands. "I like it here...this place. The quiet and the waves. It's..."

"Yeah...uh, hey...?" He looked down as the button on his tunic was undone. "We just got here. Shouldn't we look for a place to stay?"

"I don't want to run anymore." She said quietly. "No more hurrying from place to place. No more hiding and living in fear. All I want..."

No more words had been needed. The look in her eyes was enough.

Yeshua had held her and loved her that night, the way he had done since...since...  


"There you go again with the face!" 

Abel's high-pitched voice jolted Yeshua back into the present. He blinked in surprise to see the boy standing there holding what appeared to be a huge clump of wet sand with both hands. Sand with two stalked eyes peering out of it.

Yeshua smiled weakly. "Sorry, I went to bed really late last night."

Although he seemed more skeptical than before, Abel seemed to accept it. He held the sand clump out to Yeshua. "Joshua, check it out! It's a crab!" Sure enough, some of the sand fell away, revealing the bewildered crustacean. 

"Nice catch. You're probably the first person to visit him."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. So you'd better be kind to him, because everything he knows and feels about the outside world will be based almost entirely on what he sees in you."

"You're so weird lately." Abel laughed and put the crab down between them. Thin little legs appeared from beneath its shell, and it slowly moved across the sand.

A strong gust of wind knocked the hood off Abel's head, causing his dark brown hair to blow around wildly, despite being pulled back in a tight ponytail. Long, loose locks of hair whipped around his face. Again, the resemblance was staggering. Abel could easily be one of their children. 

"At least you don't look mopey anymore, but what's up now?" Abel asked, his eyes bright and cheerful. "You aren't going to play a trick, are you?"

"No trick." Yeshua smiled fondly. 

Abel eyed his 'older brother' suspiciously. "I've heard that before... But you were right, this is a great place." He doodled in the wet sand with his finger. "Y'know, I wish we could live here. It's so much cooler than back home."

"It's certainly special." He watched with concentrated curiosity as Abel started building a small sand pyramid for the crab. "Sitting here on the ocean... It's like being at the end of the world."

"Nah. More like the beginning." Abel smiled, taking no notice of the newly intrigued look on Yeshua's face. The boy dusted his hands off after setting the crab inside its new home. "We should build a boat."

"I don't think our Father would like that very much." Yeshua laughed.

"Aww, like he would care." He stuck a little leaf into the top of the sand pyramid. "It should just be me and you. We can sail out and see the whole world. Then we'll come back and live here forever."

"That's a nice dream."

"Yeah, and we can call the boat, Abel's Ark!"

"You intending on this being a floating zoo?" Yeshua teased gently. "I suppose our crab friend here will be our first passenger."

"Very funny. Nah, it just sounds cool. And it's going to be huge."

"Even if we built a boat, I don't think it could be much more than a raft..."

"The biggest!" Abel put his arms out to make his point.

"...Alright." Yeshua laughed. "We'll see."


	3. Into The Mouth of the Beast

Xenosaga: Sleeping Beauty 

by Moonstone 04

----

Into The Mouth of the Beast

The sky was turning a deep orange. Still, Abel didn't want to wake up Joshua. He didn't want to leave yet. Scooping up another armful of sand, he dropped it onto the huge sandhill and patted it down firmly. Not that he was going anywhere very easily. Only Joshua's head was sticking out of one end of the sandhill, the brim of his yellow cap pulled down over his face.

After patting more sand, he once again noticed a crackling sound when he pulled his hands away. There was a fuzzy feeling, like when pulling apart two socks fresh from the dryer. He looked at his palms with a tiny frown; he could swear there was a slight glow coming from them. 

Suddenly, his stomach growled loudly, knocking aside his previous thoughts. Around lunch time, Joshua had somehow produced food out of nowhere, but that had been several hours ago. Maybe heading back early wasn't such a bad thing. He lifted up the brim of Joshua's yellow cap.

One blue eye opened lazily, looked at him, then closed again.

"Joshua, it's getting late. I'm hungry."

Joshua yawned, and two arms popped out of the side of the sandhill. A moment later, two legs kicked up from the sand. He looked like a big sand turtle. "Alright, let's go." Opening his eyes, Joshua smiled lazily, and finally stood up from the crumbling sand. He spent several moments dusting himself off.

"You know," Joshua said, "if you're feeling brave, I know a short cut."

"Of course I'm brave." Abel pouted. "Don't treat me like some little kid."

"My apologies." His older brother's blue eyes seemed to twinkle. 

Abel wasn't sure how Joshua knew so much about this place. He seemed completely at home. Even if he had already been here a few weeks, it was kinda weird. Their Dad had made it sound like today was the first time Joshua had been allowed outside the facility grounds. 

This odd feeling was probably nothing.

But when put together with the rest of the new strangeness about Joshua, it was hard not to think about it. The hair and the eyes were one thing. On anyone else, the eyes would be creepy. He almost didn't look human. 

He could understand...it was because of the accident. That was okay. But the rest of the changes...

Joshua had always been loud and rowdy. Sometimes he had talked funny too, but in a different way. And he wouldn't shut up once he started. He was never as super nice as he was right now. He teased more, and was always showing off how smart he was. He was cool, but he could be mean if he didn't get his way. That was how Joshua used to be.

But now...

Abel pulled Joshua down, and fixed his cap. 

"Thanks." 

"No problem." Abel grinned. 

If Joshua had changed, then he would just have to get to know him all over again. Change wasn't always a bad thing. And if this Joshua was completely new...their Dad had called him a 'blank slate'...then he would become new too. He wasn't sure how, but if he could just figure out what was really different about Joshua, then maybe he could...

Seagulls scattered into the air as they walked up the beach. Joshua seemed even more reluctant than Abel to leave, moving along slowly. His eyes secretly crept around, almost like he was looking for something. Or maybe he was just being lazy and slow. That Joshua was lazy was nothing new, but the slow thing was something Abel's patience was going to have a hard time getting used to. 

When they reached the last few feet of sand, Abel went behind his brother, put his hands to his back, and pushed him into walking faster. Joshua made a surprised noise, then just laughed while Abel forced him into a jog down the long path.

On reaching the forest, they came across a small canyon they had passed over on the way up. It was easy to pass over by walking on a few fallen trees that appeared to have been felled as bridges a long time ago. After crossing back over, Joshua led them down into it. When they came to the end, shaded over by trees and overgrowth, there was nothing but a tall, rocky wall. It was a dead end.

"This doesn't look like a short cut." Abel scratched under his hood, knocking loose a long, stray bang. This set back was actually a relief. Joshua didn't know the area as well as he thought he did. 

"You can't always trust your eyes." Joshua raised one hand towards the rock wall, palm forward. Suddenly, a burst of green energy shot out from his hand, and the wall exploded into dust. 

With a yelp of surprise, Abel turned away. When he turned back around, there was a big dark hole where the wall had been. It was a cave entrance. 

"How did you do that?"

Joshua dusted off his clothes. "It was nothing."

"But you just... Boom!" Abel was too excited to put together a full sentence. "And the wall...and...and...!"

All the arm waving in the world didn't seem to get across any meaning to Joshua. The way he was reacting, you wouldn't think anything out of the ordinary had just happened. As if vaporizing solid rock with your bare hand was something that happened everyday. It was crazy.

"I think this should be our little secret." Joshua finally said.

"...not even Dad?"

"He would only worry needlessly." He held his hand out to Abel. "So, what do you say?"

His hand looked so normal. After eyeing it for a moment, Abel took it gingerly. There was a slight crackle, and his hand tingled. It was the sock from the dryer feeling again. What was that?

Lifting his eyes, Abel nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"Alright." Joshua smiled. "Now stay close, it's dark in there."

He wasn't kidding when he said it was dark. After walking a few steps inside the cave, Abel couldn't see a thing. It was pitch black. Still holding onto his brother's hand, Abel let him lead the way. Although it had to be impossible for Joshua to tell where they were going.

It was cold and damp. The sound of water dripping off the rocks, echoed around them. After a while, he began to get nervous about getting lost down there. Lost in the dark, deep underground... Shivering, he reminded himself that he trusted Joshua. Just then, warm lights appeared far ahead of them.

On seeing the lights, Joshua stopped momentarily. Then continued on.

As they came closer, he could see the torches lining the walls. Entering the light, it was as if the cavern expanded around them. It stretched into high reaches that even escaped the light, making it difficult to tell if there was even a ceiling at all. Rocks glittered with moisture. Some of them were covered with a green phosphorous glow.

Suddenly, Joshua stopped again, but this time, he hurried them off into the shadows. Leading them behind a big rock, he had Abel crouch down, and held a finger to his lips. In the silence, footsteps that were not their own echoed through the caverns.

Abel couldn't see anything, Joshua was holding him back. Gradually, the footsteps faded, and they quietly slipped out of their hiding spot. Abel wanted to ask what had happened, but when he saw the starkly troubled expression on Joshua's face, he didn't have the nerve to ask.

They continued on.

Joshua was walking much faster now, and Abel had trouble keeping up. They were twisting off the previous path, down into darker caverns. Even as the ground underfoot became smoother, he thought he saw his brother almost stumble a few times. Still, he was shocked when Joshua finally did fall, coming to his knees. His hand reached up to grab the rock wall beside them, but he didn't pull himself up. Head down, his body was shuddering.

"Josh?" Abel whispered worriedly. "Are you okay?" It looked like he was sick... In the shadows, it was impossible to tell what was wrong.

His other hand over his face, Joshua looked like he might be trying to throw up. Thankfully, after a few minutes, he only scrubbed his face with the back of his arm and stood unsteadily. He didn't let go of the wall, as if needing to reassure himself that it was still there. "I-I'm alright."

"Are you su-"

"It's alright." Joshua said in a stronger voice. "Let's go."

Leading the way at a slower pace, Joshua took them back towards the well-lighted tunnels. Even if they were going slower, going back seemed to take much, much longer than it had to get down there. Abel's feet were beginning to drag by the time they reached the place where they had encountered the strange footsteps.

"Getting tired?" 

"Nuh uh." Abel said stubbornly.

"Don't worry, we're almost there."

Almost as soon as he said it, the air became brighter, and the cave seemed to suddenly expand around them. It was an entire subterranean world of huge stalactites and stalagmites. Incredible pillars of rock surrounded them as they walked onward, like the supports of a truly massive temple. Abel couldn't tell where the eerie light around them was coming from, until they passed through the pillars.

In the midst of a place that felt so ancient, it was shocking to abruptly come across what looked for all the world like a giant spaceship. It sat there, deep in the underground, glowing and humming incessantly. It was the light coming from this huge structure that was illuminating so much of the cavern. What was it doing here?

"This is what the Rennes le Chateau facility looks like from the outside." Joshua said quietly, as if he could tell what Abel was thinking. "We'll try to slip through the backdoor without being seen."

It was the biggest backdoor that Abel had ever seen. It was bigger than his house back home. Walking right in through that without being seen didn't seem possible. Still, Joshua led him straight up the metal ramp that creaked loudly with each step they took. On the great door, was the omnipresent red Vector logo.

There was the sound of air rushing past, bringing with it the sterile smell of the labs within. Smoothly, several interlocking doors slid open before them. Even after opening, the hiss of escaping air could be heard around them. Abel was still staring when Joshua started them forward. After they passed through, the interlocking doors slid shut again, leaving them in complete darkness.

With yet another hiss of air, a much smaller door opened ahead of them, a rectangle of light. It led into the next area, which was now familiar as the inside of the facility. Their surroundings were so stark, they seemed to glow with the blinding whiteness. With no one else around, it felt spooky. They appeared to be completely alone in a wide-open hallway junction. Abel rubbed at his eyes as he adjusted to the brightness.

"Back again, into the mouth of the Beast," Joshua said, almost too softly to hear.

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Joshua said with an apologetic smile. "Let's get back to the living quarters before they come looking for us."

Abel nodded. "This place is kinda scary."

"Yeah."

After that, Abel went out on walks with Joshua a few more times, but they never went back down through the caves again. And they never told anyone what had happened. Abel was sure they would have gotten in serious trouble had anyone found out. 

As days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months, Abel's initial feelings of uneasiness regarding the facility began to grow. There was a feeling of wrongness about the facility. And it was slowly consuming him... 

Over time, he was allowed outside less often, until he was completely unable to leave. His Dad said it was because the experiments being conducted were becoming more sensitive, but Abel couldn't help notice how some of the lab people suddenly developed an increased interest in him. They were creepy... But his Dad said he was only imagining things. That he would be able to go home in time...

His only comfort was Joshua's presence, but his older brother looked sadder and sadder as the days went on. To pass the time, Joshua would tell him stories, play puzzles, or teach him how to draw. Abel also had a tutor that came in to do lessons with him almost every day since he couldn't go back to school.

And once in a while, Mr. Wilhelm came to visit.

Abel didn't know why, but Joshua didn't like Mr. Wilhelm. He didn't even like to talk about him. When he was around, Joshua would be very quiet. Sometimes, Abel caught him glaring at Mr. Wilhelm in a scary way. But then it would be gone so suddenly, he would wonder if he had imagined it. 

Abel couldn't understand why. Mr. Wilhelm always seemed very nice. Everyone else called him Master Wilhelm, but he told Abel that they were friends, so he didn't need to be so formal. Still, Abel wasn't very comfortable calling adults by just their first name, so he settled on Mr. Wilhelm.

One day, very early in the morning, Abel was still asleep in bed, when a voice woke him up. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. The angrier the voice was, the louder and clearer it became. It was like a bad radio reception, fading in and out. 

'...working with them...HIM...'

It sounded like Joshua.

'...want them out of there now...'

There was a long moment of silence, and he thought it was over. Then...

'...can't do this...'

More silence. Then an odd, horrible despair seemed to come over him out of nowhere. Taking his blanket, Abel got up and hid under the bed. He wanted to run away, but he didn't know where he could go if he did. He felt trapped...and for some reason, he was terrified.

'...wake Medraut...'

'Show more restraint, Yeshua. The boy is on your wavelength.' This voice was crystal clear. It was Mr. Wilhelm. Then Abel heard nothing more.


	4. Cry of the Rapture

Xenosaga: Sleeping Beauty 

by Moonstone 04

---

Author's Notes: Big, big thanks to Jinx for the feedback while writing this chapter, it was a huge help. X3 I would also like to take this moment to explain that this fic is meant to be an AU (Alternate Universe), so don't expect it to match up with real canon information from the games. With more and more info coming out about Episode III, I felt it was important for people to know that. No Episode III spoilers in the comments, please. That said, I hope you enjoy it!

----

Cry of the Rapture

Straight backed, his hands clasped behind his back, Wilhelm stared out from the panoramic observatory window. Below, was the most restricted and secure lab in the facility. People wearing immaculate white radiation suits bustled around workstations and all manner of specialized equipment. The center of attention, levitating on a suitably large pedestal, was the Zohar.

As Yeshua materialized within the otherwise deserted observatory, his eyes remained averted to the floor. His gaze never meeting the golden monolith or the blue jewel that resembled the color of his eyes. He did not like looking at it, if he could avoid it. The sight of the Zohar held far too many powerful memories for him. 

"I hope, Yeshua, that you have not come to shout at me again." Wilhelm said in velvet tones, not turning from where he stood.

"I wasn't shouting."

"Truly. Whatever you were doing, it was very unbecoming."

Slowly, Yeshua shook his head back and forth with a look of exhausted disgust. "How can you stand to stare at it like that?"

"I would rather look truth in the face, than look away in fear and ignorance."

"How many must suffer for your sake?"

"Yeshua. My dearest brother. I do this for you. And for all of them. There is no other way. How many times now have we discussed this?"

"There must be another way. She wouldn't want this."

"Is that so? Did she stop as the world was shaken to its foundations? Did she stop as our children drowned beneath the waves? Tell me, Yeshua."

Silently, Yeshua seethed with fury. 

Closing his eyes, Wilhelm smiled with satisfaction. "My apologies. I'm not being fair. Let us not dwell on past animosities any longer. Now, more than ever, we must be united. I have told you what is at stake."

"You continue these pretenses of yours...and yet, you are still in league with Mordred."

"As I told you before, I have done what was necessary." Wilhelm opened his eyes again with a musing expression. "Now that the Compass of Order is back in my possession, I once again have the upper hand."

Yeshua could hear in his voice, the royal tones that had once lifted his spirits to believe in a bright future... A future they would build together. It was that voice that had inspired so many, and built a nation unlike any the world had seen before or since. There had once been a time, long ago, when he would have followed Wilhelm anywhere, and done anything for him. Once upon a time... So much had passed since those days, so many hurts and wrongs between them that could never be undone.

"I am genuinely sorry." Yeshua said softly. "But I can no longer trust you. You call me your dearest brother, but you would betray me in an instant to achieve your goals. You have done it before, and you would do it again. You may not be the monster that Mordred is, but your heart is cold and empty."

Wilhelm was quiet, but his hands slowly unclasped from behind his back. He folded his arms around himself and leaned back slightly to stare towards the strange skeletal-like relics circling the lab, suspended in twelve containers of fluorescent red liquid. "I do not need you to trust me. I need you to help me. If we do not do this, then he will. And if that happens, there will no longer be a tomorrow, ever again."

"I can't hurt her... What you're bringing about will be a disaster. Can you not feel it gathering around yourself even now?" Yeshua shivered.

"Love has always made you weak, Yeshua. It robs you of your potential and sensibility. You never learned to put aside your feelings and do what needed to be done. That is why you were a poor knight."

"I am what I am." Yeshua bowed his head, silver hair shrouding his face. "No matter what else this world makes me out to be, that is the one thing that makes me who I am. I exist... to love her."

"Yes," Wilhelm murmured. "That defining quality...is perhaps the only thing I can depend on."

Feeling lost, Yeshua returned to the living quarters. He found Abel sitting at the table, drawing with crayons. The boy had been quieter than usual since the other day when he had been found hiding under his bed. Although Abel had not told anyone what was bothering him, Yeshua knew what had happened. He still felt guilty for having unintentionally fed Abel his thoughts and emotions during an unguarded moment. He had not realized just how closely their wavelengths matched. Even Wilhelm had noticed the synchronization before he had.

"You doing okay?" Yeshua asked, looking down at the half-hearted crayon scribbles on the table.

"I guess so."

"That nightmare isn't still bothering you, is it?"

Abel didn't reply, and picked up a blue crayon.

Concerned, Yeshua looked from Abel to the drawing. It was more stylized than what Abel usually drew. There was a familiarity to the picture that made him uneasy, but such symbols were often universal in human consciousness. "Is that a fish?"

"No," Abel replied. "It's an eye."

Just then, Masuda came in. "Hello, boys. The tutor isn't here yet?"

"Ah, no." Yeshua looked away reluctantly from what Abel was doing. "And you're here earlier than usual. What's up?"

"Well, I'm not really off-duty yet." Masuda smiled, but there was an anxiety hidden in his eyes that Yeshua knew well. "One of the new research crews wants to see you...nothing to worry about, I'll be going with you."

Something caused Yeshua to turn and look at Abel. The boy had stopped drawing, and was listening. There was little doubt at that moment that Abel could feel the shifting tides of eternity as well as he could. Yeshua looked back at Masuda with a questioning frown.

"No more tests, remember? Hasn't anyone informed them?"

"Well, yes..." Masuda said, rubbing his arm uneasily. "But Master Wilhelm gave them the green light. They believe the newly designed equipment will-"

"No." Yeshua said. 

"I'm sorry Joshua, but we don't have any choi-"

"I'm staying here." Yeshua said more firmly. "Tell Wilhelm he can come and drag me out to the lab himself. I won't do it."

Abel seemed to relax, gently filling in his drawing with blue.

"Please, Joshua, this isn't about him. This is about the work we're doing here...you know it's important to me, too." Masuda sighed. "And the sooner we have a breakthrough, the sooner we can all go home. They just want to monitor you, nothing more. I promise, no more than an hour. Please, Joshua?"

Abel had stopped drawing again. 

"I don't like this..." Yeshua felt painfully uneasy. He could feel reality shifting and rearranging around him, as it often did no matter how much he tried to subdue his power. The presence of the Zohar only made it worse. He felt like they were sitting on a bomb that was just waiting to go off... "I don't want to be in the same room as that thing."

"Everything is set up in one of the smaller lab rooms." Masuda smiled reassuringly. "You won't have to go near the main lab at all."

"Abel shouldn't be left alone."

"The tutor will be here any minute, he'll be fine." Masuda looked to Abel with a small laugh. "Tell your overprotective brother that you're old enough to take care of yourself for a little while, hmm?"

Abel looked up and gave a guilty little nod. "I'm okay here."

"Alright..." Yeshua reluctantly gave in. He did not want Abel to suffer any more involvement than was necessary. "If it's that important to you."

"Thank you, Joshua. It won't be bad, I promise." Masuda turned to Abel and gave him an affectionate pat on the head. "Don't worry, I'll bring him back in one piece." He said with a wink. 

So it was done. Fate was pulling him in all directions, and Yeshua did not know which way was safe to turn. All he knew was that he was headed out the door with Masuda. Before the door closed behind them, he looked back to see Abel was drawing again. Just a normal small boy at a normal small table, coloring with crayons. The door swished shut, and the scene was gone.

As Yeshua and Masuda walked down the cold, white corridor, they passed the tutor. She was accompanied by a man in a labcoat that Yeshua had never seen before. Judging from the top security clearance tag he wore at his breast pocket, he was coming from the same place they were headed to. Yeshua turned away from the man's intensely curious gaze as they approached. His unusual appearance always gave him away. Masuda greeted them briefly before they passed each other.

Soon they were completely alone again. The endless, blinding white corridors made Yeshua long for the outdoors. Just to hear the wind again instead of the constant electric hum would be enough. Unexpectedly, they were suddenly still, and the silver-haired youth turned questioning eyes towards his 'father.'

"Ahah, I was just thinking, we don't get too many moments like this anymore, do we?" Masuda laughed awkwardly. "I hadn't intended for you boys to get so wrapped up in all of this."

"It's alright. It isn't your fault."

From the look on his face, Masuda had not been convinced of that. "You're braver than I am, the both of you. I want you to know just how proud of you I am."

Yeshua smiled with understanding, but that smile faded, as he watched Masuda pull a small pendant out of his shirt, unclasping it at the back of his neck. A tiny, teardrop crystal shimmered at the end of a delicate chain.

Instantly, he was no longer in that cold corridor. In his mind, he was standing at the top of a great pyramid, the steps of a golden temple towering before him. Below him, multitudes of men in armor, shining brightly in the hot sun, were gathering and preparing. Yet, his eyes were for none of that.

Moving up the golden steps, he entered the arching doorway, passing instantly from daylight to gloom. Although the doors were open, very little from the outside, not even sunlight, was permitted within the solemn walls. Through those translucent, crystalline walls, waves of light and water flowed endlessly. The dark center from which all waves flowed, was the Sacred Lake at the Heart of the temple. This was a holy place, which few human eyes ever beheld.

A woman in white robes was coming towards him. She moved with the grace and formality expected of a living goddess. There was an ever serene smile on her lips, but her luminous blue eyes were full of sadness.

As much as he wanted to stay, looking into those eyes, he knew it was best to leave. Deep down, he knew time would change nothing, but still...

"You are not suited for this work, Yeshua."

"Miriam, I'm the only one who can do this." He said soothingly. "Mordred can not be trusted with the Ein Sof. His power is too wild. And Samael can not take leave of the Kingdom for as long as we must be gone."

Her eyes fell away from him. "So this is goodbye."

"No..." To see her with such a sad face was making his heart break into tiny pieces. He shook his head and stepped closer to take her hands. They were close...too close. It would not be proper for them to be seen like this, but at that moment, he did not care. In truth, it still was never close enough...

"Yeshua... What is this...?" Miriam looked down at their clasped hands. A delicate, glittering chain had appeared between her fingers. On that chain was a tiny crystal, like a teardrop of light against the surrounding gloom.

"That's my promise to you." Yeshua spoke so softly, only Miriam could have heard him. "A promise to keep close to your heart while I'm away."

"A promise?" Miriam smiled, lifting her eyes to his. 

"That's right." Warmed to see her smile again, he gave her clasped hands a tender squeeze. "To remind you that no matter where you are, no matter how much time comes between us, I'll always come back to you."

Her eyes were shining with the feelings they were forbidden to ever express... "If that is so...I shall always wait for you. Even if it takes an eternity. My Yeshua."

"Come now, I'm not that slow." Yeshua laughed softly.

Ancient light danced and sang within the tiny crystal pendant, remembering that distant promise. Still, not even then, had Yeshua realized how cruelly fate would put their vows to the test.

Looking up from the crystal, he gave a start, as he was once again facing Masuda. He blinked as the memories fled away, leaving him in the cold, white hallway of the present time. He must have had a dazed look on his face, because Masuda wore a worried expression.

"Joshua, are you alright?"

Not trusting his voice, he simply nodded with a forced smile.

"I guess you recognize this, don't you? It belonged to your mother." Masuda was holding the pendant in his palm. "It doesn't look it, but this is a very old heirloom that came down through her father's side." He got a faraway look in his own eyes as he looked down at him. "She was never without it. When you were old enough, she wanted you to have it."

Feeling numb, Yeshua stared down at the cold pendant that Masuda had placed in his hand. This did not belong to him. In no sense, did he deserve this. His fingers closed around it so he would not have to look at it.

"I... I'll take care of it."

Masuda smiled. "I thought I lost the chance to honor her wishes... Guess we all got a second chance, didn't we?"

"...second chance?" Yeshua lifted his head. One look in the man's face, and Yeshua felt sick. How long could he live this horrible lie? He looked away, down the corridor. "Yeah, I guess we did."

"I promise," Masuda clapped Yeshua's shoulder. "I'm going to get you boys out of here soon. Very soon. There's been so much progress, surely Master Wilhelm will agree to it."

Yeshua somehow managed a smile. There was a troubling electrical crackling sound as Masuda removed his hand, but he forgot about it very soon afterward...

Thankfully, it was less invasive than before. This time, no one attempted to poke him with needles. Instead, he was asked to sit back in a chair, while strange sensors were taped onto various places of his body. Then nothing more was asked of him, as the scientists busied themselves with their machines, along with his "father." Closing his eyes and trying to relax in the hard chair, Yeshua comforted himself by squeezing the cold pendant that still lay in his clenched hand. The babble around him slowly faded away.

"...looking good, no problems so far..."

"...flux, but it's holding up fine..."

"...other variable is go, give them the go ahead..."

Yeshua felt like he was floating away, somewhere quiet and cold. None of it mattered, none of it was real... As relaxed as he was, however, he could still feel the delicate crystal in his palm.

"...perfect synchronization! What the..."

"...anima output has been initiated..."

"...another blip..."

Suddenly a searing pain flared through Yeshua's mid-section. Rudely brought back from his quiet place, he opened his eyes with a gentle groan. No one seemed to notice, as there seemed to be a great deal of excitement surrounding a certain monitor. 

"...field spiked, is it safe?"

He tried to relax again, but his entire form was tense and humming uncomfortably. With one hand, he touched the wires trailing away from his forehead, but there was nothing emitting from them. What was this feeling?

"...don't let it overload, keep that feedback under control..."

"...wait, something's wrong..."

"Dr. Masuda, stay back, or I'll have you removed."

"...message, the object is syncing with the variable..."

"...just keep it stable, that's all you have to do, damn it..."

Somewhere deep inside, there was a sharp tugging. The sensation that if he did not keep a firm hold of his seat, that he might be pulled out of reality like a dwindling singularity. It felt like a painful twisting in his gut, and he gritted his teeth as he gripped both the chair and the air. Yeshua's heart beat wildly in terror as he recognized the feeling. Although he knew he was still there, the world around him was fading in and out, between the real and the brilliant light of the other side.

"...not responding, should we..."

"...commander, what is..."

"...get him out of here, he has no authority here..."

There was screaming everywhere. The familiar voices...and his voice... The blinding, hungry light... Clawing at them...

"...ander Yeshua...!"

"...no one hold him down, he's just a boy...!"

"...chaos... Are we all...going to end up like him...?"

"...make no mistake, you are no different than I am..."

"...received order to abort..."

"...Abel... Live...!"

At last, the screaming and the voices faded, and even the light gave way to darkness as Yeshua closed his eyes. The danger had passed for the moment. Feeling weak as he had not felt in a very long time, he let his consciousness fly away for a little while.

When he came back, he was lying on his back in the dark. Someone had brought him back to his bedroom. He felt that he had been gone for several hours. Blanket rustling, he sat up and looked around. Across the room, Abel was also asleep in his own bed, his back towards Yeshua. 

Without making a further sound, Yeshua lightly placed his bare feet on the floor, and got up. He padded across the room, towards the door. With the flicker of thought, he teleported into the next room.

The bright sterile light that usually lit the area was replaced with the dim evening lights, casting everything in shadow. At the table where Yeshua had last spoken to Abel was still covered with crayons and half finished drawings. Beyond the table was a bookcase and an armchair. An arm hung limply from the chair, barely holding onto an empty shotglass. Hesitantly, Yeshua circled around it to face the person sitting there. In that chair, sat Dr. Masuda. He was silent, and appeared to be asleep.

Then after a long silence, he spoke. 

"I'm sorry, Joshua. I'm so sorry."

Yeshua felt numb, and only stared back for several moments. He did not fully understand what had occurred. He only knew what he had felt, and that it had been very dangerous. At last, he found his voice.

"It's not your fault. I should have known they would try something like that. They won't be able to get me back into the lab again. So don't worry about it."

Masuda shook his head wearily, pressing his fingertips to his brow. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. Just thought I'd go out and get some air."

Between his fingers, Masuda looked at him uncertainly. "You should take it easy, after what happened. For a little while, I thought..."

Yeshua smiled kindly. "I'm perfectly fine now, really."

Nothing could be further from the truth. That was why he needed to get away. Even if only for a few hours. After gaining reluctant permission from Masuda, he pulled on his socks and boots, and went out for a walk.

He did not watch where he went, there was no need to see anything around him. All paths opened before him, as they always did. The corridors were empty and peaceful, leaving him to his own thoughts. His eyes strayed to his closed fist, where he had never let go of the pendant that still lay in the palm of his hand.

"Miriam..." He clutched his closed fist to his chest. "I don't know what to do..." 

Never in his life, had he felt so alone. He had no one to confide in anymore, no one who would understand his feelings. The weight of the world was crushing down on him. So he did the only thing he knew how to do. He ran away.

Cold air suddenly hit him in the face, sweeping his bangs away from his face. He had reached the outer grounds of the castle. The night sky twinkled with light, inviting him away from the horrors beneath the earth. At that moment, he wished nothing more than to spread his wings and disappear into that starry sky...

A cold shadow finally brought him to a halt.

There was someone walking towards him. A lanky figure in a dark scarlet robe. Yeshua was surprised to see anyone else out there in the dead of night. A shameful rage silently filled his heart as he sensed the familiar presence. Crystal cut into his palm as his fist tightened about it. It was the last person he wanted to see...

"Oh Yeshua," the scarlet man stopped several feet away. "Are you still pretending to be a little boy?"

"Mordred." He intoned with all the deep-seated loathing he felt at the other's presence. "At least I'm not a filthy parasite manifesting within unwilling human hosts."

The lanky figure shifted its posture in amusement. "Please, you know as well as I do that they're little more than shattered pieces of glass. As they are, they're worthless for anything other than serving us. This dirtied plane of existence must be swept up, brother. You, of all people, should appreciate the necessity of that. And get with the times. I haven't used that name in ages. It makes me sound like a character from a cheesy fantasy novel. Call me Heinlein."

"Heinlein... Wilhelm... You both have so many names... What does it matter what I call you." Yeshua muttered.

"Ever the hypocrite, I see." Heinlein chuckled humorlessly. "I hear you call yourself Joshua these days."

"No." Yeshua shook his head. "That's just another name people have given me." People had given him countless names over the ages... But only one had ever meant anything to him...the name she had given him... Her savior...

Even if he no longer deserved the name.

Although Yeshua could not see his face, he could hear the sneer in Heinlein's voice. "You may be the eldest of us, but you're still as a child. An ancient child, who still allows these pitiful creatures to mold you to their whims. It is time to take your own name, brother, and make your own destiny. The world belongs to us, not to them."

"I refuse... I'll have no part in this. Each one of them...is a fragment of her light... A piece of her soul. Even for my own desires, I can not."

"Always ever suffering, aren't you, little Yeshua. I'm beginning to think you actually enjoy it." He turned his back to him. "No matter, I think I like it better this way. When I consume them all, I'll overwhelm you both."

"You'll never succeed." Yeshua said quietly. "You are nothing more than a shadow...one that should have never existed. You can never be anything more than a neurosis."

Silently, Heinlein turned around again. He stalked towards Yeshua, until they were face to face, or rather, face to chest. His features were shockingly similar to Yeshua's own, and even now, he felt uncomfortable looking straight at him. Yeshua's eyes automatically averted to the side. If Yeshua appeared about five years older with gleaming emerald eyes, he might have looked exactly like Heinlein.

"Figuratively speaking, I may have been ripped out of your heart," Heinlein hissed, "but you will never be rid of me. I am in charge. You are weak and cowardly. All your love...and what has it gotten you?"

Heinlein violently seized the front of Yeshua's jumpsuit, pulling him close enough to see the hellish green glow in his eyes. That is, if their eyes had met. "What has it gotten you, Yeshua? Constant fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration... Oh yes," he laughed cruelly, "that sexual frustration has gotten you into so much trouble, hasn't it little Yeshua?"

Angrily, Yeshua struggled, but not hard enough to break his brother's grip.

"In other words," Heinlein stopped laughing, "every bit of your mental baggage that you threw away, which created me. Well...yours and his. But yours is just so delicious, it makes me want to scream. Someone has to do something about it, because a coward like you surely won't. You've made that perfectly clear."

With that, he shoved Yeshua down to the ground.

"Go on," he sneered. "Prove me wrong."

Swinging his head back and forth, Yeshua refused to look at him. His rage would not control him. He would not listen... "I'm not like you..." 

"Psh. I am you." Placing the flat of one foot against his forehead, Heinlein kicked his brother over. He watched as Yeshua sprawled back against the dark grass. Rolling onto his hands and knees, he did not rise. "Unfortunately."

Taking deep breaths, Yeshua let his anger seep away. Only to be replaced with the pain in his head. Before he could recover, he received a brutal kick to the side, sending him sliding across the grass, before he stopped, face to the ground. Wheezing, this time, he did not get up.

"This is pathetic." In disgust, Heinlein flicked a lock of hair away from his face. "Such a waste of power... Even a human could put up a better fight. Come on, Yeshua." He knelt down beside him. "I know you remember what I did to her. What I had my men do to her. You'll never have a better chance for revenge. I promise you that."

Pain. He forced the memories away. Trembling, his fingers dug into the earth. "Why are you doing this?" A flash of light...the horror... Yeshua squeezed his eyes shut.

"You know why." Heinlein's voice was filled with hatred. "I will take back everything you took from me... And then I will succeed where you failed."

"Mordred..." Opening his pain-filled eyes, Yeshua finally looked up at his brother. 

"Enough. I see nothing has changed." Heinlein stood and turned away. "You're still good for a laugh, Yeshua. Enjoy the show...I'll see you again when the curtain falls."

Yeshua watched as his brother walked away into the darkness. A faint hint of scarlet light trailed behind him like strands of gossamer, resembling six red angel wings. Then he disappeared within a flaring red glow. Insects which had been silent before, began to chirp and click.

Pushing himself to his feet, Yeshua limped over to a small thicket. Leaning against a small tree, he slid to the ground beneath it, and sat there for the rest of the night.

Two more weeks passed. Life in the facility had quickly descended into a hellish existence within the relatively short span since the first test. As promised, Yeshua never again allowed the scientists to include him in their experiments. He always managed to be somewhere else whenever they tried to come for him. However, the nightmarish spells that he had first experienced during the testing were continuing. And he knew now what was causing them. On that day, the experimentation on Abel had begun... Every day, Abel was tied into a seat and was placed into a virtual interface with the Zohar's wavelength. ...It was slowly destroying the boy's mind.

Softly singing in the dark, Yeshua sat on the floor beside Abel's bed. It was the only way he could comfort him, to soothe his ravaged mind. The boy's weary eyes were open, but empty. Abel resembled a lifeless ragdoll on the bed, only the shallow rise and fall of his chest revealing what still lay within. Yeshua could feel his consciousness struggling to reach what he had always accepted as reality. He would either surface, or be swallowed.

Biting down the ache of pain and guilt, Yeshua's gentle melody continued, his voice ethereal and full of sorrow. He sang of the open sky, of clouds, and stars. Of windy fields and endless forests. Of crystal waters and burning sands. And he sang of struggling dreams, eternal loneliness... and eternal love, ever enduring. Although it was a painful song, Yeshua did not stop, hoping it could guide Abel out from wherever he had lost himself.

If he still had tears left to shed, he would have.

Only when he heard the front door open, did he stop singing. Leaving Abel with a reassuring squeeze of the hand, he went into the next room. As he expected, it was Masuda, unshaven and angry as he dropped a cardboard box onto the table. Several objects inside cracked loudly. More junk from a forgotten era.

"He can't take much more." Yeshua said. 

"Much more...what?" Masuda mumbled, loudly opening the box.

"The tests. They're killing him." Yeshua frowned. "He hasn't spoken a word in weeks. Since the last time, he hasn't even been able to move on his own. He's your son..." A desperate plea escaped him. "...you have to..."

Yeshua stopped as Masuda whirled around and stared at him as if he did not recognize who he was looking at. He was squinting, dark circles under his eyes. "Joshua? Can't you see I'm busy?" He snapped. "You know how important my work here is. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I won't tolerate these stories!"

"It wasn't your fault."

He saw it coming, but did not move away as Masuda slapped him. For a moment, he saw stars, and his cheek stung. Touching fingertips to his face, and turned back to face Masuda. He could not help but to feel deep sympathy at the frightened look emerging in the man's eyes. 

As Masuda became increasingly helpless and paranoid, he was growing more suspicious of him. Did he finally look into 'Joshua's' eyes, and realize that it was not his own son looking back at him? Trapped in this horrible place, did he face the truth that he might have already lost two of his children to it? 

"You used to always lose your temper... Such a bratty child. Always causing trouble." Masuda turned away, his shoulders hunching over. "I... I want that brat back. Instead of these lies..."

"I..."

"Leave me alone."

Bowing his head, Yeshua turned around and returned to Abel's room.

The next day, Abel was removed from the room, and Masuda went with him. Yeshua was forced along as well, however the scientists somehow lost track of him halfway to the lab. They would send people to search through the corridors, of course, but they would not find him. Yeshua had hidden himself among a small grove of trees, far above the facility. Sitting cross-legged in the tall grass, he was dappled with shadow and sunlight that filtered down through the treetops. Eyes closed and meditating, he prepared himself for the now routine experience of madness and pain.

There was a good chance this would be the last time. Yeshua himself was growing weak from the repeated barrage of attempted contacts between Abel and the Zohar. This much raw interfacing with the Zohar itself was unheard of. That Abel had held out this long was truly amazing. Yet, the very thing that made him strong would also destroy him... In his weakened state, surely it was only a matter of time. 

He was taking long, calming breaths, when the first blast hit him between the eyes. Searing pain accompanied by black and white flashes. It knocked him onto his back, and he put his hands to his eyes, uselessly trying to block out the lights. More and more lights flashed through his vision, patterns of color that ebbed in and out of existence. Voices were careening past him too quickly to discern any single phrase. Abel's fears and anxieties as well as his own welled up, attacking relentlessly. All sense of self was lost in the madness and screaming. Somewhere, he was clawing at whatever he could...grass, cold metal, sand... All fading as the unstoppable force within himself wailed and clawed to possess the light.

Suddenly, from far away, someone was singing.

The image of a girl flashed into his mind. 

...Miriam? 

Mother.

In his confused mind, the two images came together within a single axis in a flash of brilliant light and sound... A faint form of shimmering light appeared...

Everything else subsided as the singing voice rose to the surface. He knew this song...and this voice. It was Abel... With incredible effort, the noise and lights slowly faded away. As his senses returned, Yeshua's first thoughts were that the experiment had abruptly ended, or that he was feeling Abel's last moments. Instead, he opened his eyes to see the sky had not returned, although his head was now clear. Instead, there were two shimmering violet eyes staring back at him. 

Then, almost as suddenly, the eyes were gone, and he was staring at the inside of a large laboratory. In front of him was a golden monolith, the Zohar itself. He seized up in fear, but he was strapped into a chair. Within moments, Yeshua realized he couldn't struggle, because he was not actually there. He was seeing through Abel's eyes. Faintly, he could hear a girl singing the same song that Abel had been singing before, but there was no girl to be seen.

"I don't believe this, Lemegeton is rewriting its own functions... How is this even possible? Should I attempt to override it?" The scientist bent over the computer looked up. Beside him was a man in dark, ornate robes; a strange sight among the many white radiation suits. 

"No. As long as the data remains intact, do not interfere. Keep recording, and watch the boy." The robed man ordered. "Dr. Uzuki, the Vector CEO has requested your presence, I believe you are no longer needed here. Dr. Masuda, please come with me."

Sound faded, and the world went dark as Abel finally fell into unconsciousness, pulling Yeshua down with him. Exhausted, he did not resist.

When he finally awoke again, it was nighttime. There was no light, as dark clouds were obscuring the moon and stars. Closing his eyes again, Yeshua was surprised to find he could easily switch back into Abel's perspective. He was still strapped to the chair, and probably had not moved all day. Activity in the laboratory had quieted down for the night. There was only one scientist left, examining the information being processed by the computer.

After a few minutes, he stopped and stepped over to peer down at Abel. It was Dr. Masuda. He looked more tired than Yeshua had ever seen him, his spirit crushed. "I'm sorry, Abel. If you can still hear me, I hope you'll be able to forgive me someday. If only I hadn't..." His listless voice trailed off. "There's nothing that can be done about it now. Now they own us all. I don't know if your sister and aunt even know we're still alive. I never meant for this to happen... I didn't think..."

Abel remained silent, although his eyes trailed his father.

Staring up at the giant golden monolith, Masuda's head fell back. "This was supposed to bring us new hope... Grant all our wishes, like a genie in a bottle." Climbing the steps of the great pedestal, his voice broke with despair. "Maybe that was my mistake. Can I take it all back like in the stories, or is it too late?" He paused before it for a long moment, as if seeking a path to redemption in the gleaming golden surface. Finally, his seeking, trembling hand reached out towards the Zohar.

"Stop." 

The word was on Yeshua's lips, but Abel was silent. In an instant, it was all over. Dr. Masuda had touched what mortals were forbidden to touch. In a flash of light, all the knowledge he had ever sought was granted to him, transforming his very existence. The being who had been known as Dr. Masuda, vanished. 

With the passage of that transformed existence, the door was opened. There was nothing... no one... who could stop the massive shift which had been triggered by Masuda's will. Back arched and fingers dug into the earth, Yeshua struggled uselessly to control the power that reached out towards the brilliant points of light it most desired. That he most desired... What began as a low moan in Yeshua's throat, echoed by Abel, rose into a howling cry of rapture and despair.

Over the following weeks, the castle was slowly swallowed by a terrible silence. Insects no longer chirped and birds no longer sang. Not a single creature moved through the grasses or between the stones of the ancient building. If one were to walk through the countryside, they would find that the eerie silence was slowly spreading out from the castle, leaving strangely deserted homes and fields in its wake...

Deep below ground, solitary footsteps echoed through the foreboding labyrinth. Once blinding in their stark white light, the hallways were now as dark as the caverns beyond their walls. Yeshua made his way towards the small room where Abel lay sleeping.

The boy's dark hair, fallen in messy locks about his face, accentuated how pale he had become during his long confinement. Thin and weak, he lay prone, breathing with shallow breaths. Abused and neglected, and having endured more than most mortals ever had, and yet he still lived. Like a star which refused to burn out, Abel's will continued to burn brilliantly.

Kneeling by his bedside, Yeshua reached out and tenderly brushed his hair away from his face. "Abel... Abel, wake up. We're leaving now."

"I'm impressed."

At the sudden voice, Yeshua stood and turned around. In the thick of shadows, Wilhelm stood a few feet away, his hands tucked into his pockets. Ruby eyes glowed softly against the velvety blackness of his surroundings.

"Do you still believe this is the right way?" Yeshua asked with surprising roughness. "Do you understand now why the Zohar can never be used again?"

Wilhelm gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "It was an extremely unfortunate accident. Heinlein's men stepped over their boundaries."

"Accident... Surely you understand... This planet...this planet is dying!" 

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Wilhelm said dryly. He folded his arms around himself. "Luckily, Heinlein's people now have the Zohar contained and under control. However, the damage has been done, and there's no use bemoaning it. The deep sanctuary has been taken, but I never leave myself without a contingency plan. The facility in New Mexico is still secure, and I've already taken all necessary measures."

Yeshua's heart sank, knowing what Wilhelm was speaking of. Sadly, he looked down at Abel. "Without her, this can never be undone." Gently, he lifted the frail boy into his arms. "And unless this is undone, she can never awaken." Turning away like a sleep walker, he slowly wandered towards the door. To speak those words aloud had been like striking himself in the gut. These were things he knew, but had dreaded to admit to himself. The nightmare was real.

"That's the bard talking. Enough melodrama, you know as well as I do that there is still hope. Your riddle will require time to solve, but I swear it will be done. All I ask, is that you join me once more. Surely you see now, more than ever, what we are faced with."

Pausing for a long moment, Yeshua stood before the door. "No. I told you before, and I'll tell you one last time. I'll have nothing more to do with this. Our meddling has nearly destroyed them. The more we interfere, the more damage is done. I am finished." With that, he moved to leave, and the door swished open before him. In the doorway, he was halted once more by Wilhelm's voice.

"...Am I seeing this again?" Wilhelm's tone took on a subtly dark edge. "Running away again, while civilization sinks into hell? ...Remember who you are. For once in your life, Yeshua, take responsibility..."

"Stop calling me that!" Yeshua snapped back hotly. He quickly regained his composure, but his words still sounded bitter. "I'm not that person anymore. Call me for my true name, what I really am. All I have ever brought to this world is chaos, and that is the only name I deserve."

"You're the only one who can change that. Help me. Stay with me."

Closing his eyes as his chest clenched with pain, he shook his head gently. "You don't need me, we both know that. You were always the clever one. You'll find a way without me... I'll bet you have a plan already, don't you?"

Wilhelm was silent a moment before replying. "That's not true."

"Anyone else would find that convincing. We've tried this before, and it failed. It can never be the way it was before, ever again. Let me go."

"No." Wilhelm said forcefully. "Do you think it was easy for me? I didn't want to do it. It has never been about what I want. I do not have the luxury of forgetting who I am. One of us had to be responsible...to do what is necessary." 

Bowing his head sorrowfully, he opened his eyes. "I can never forget who I am. That's why-"

"If that's true, then remember your duty as an immortal." Wilhelm's voice took on an edge of desperation. Unseen power churned about him, grasping and clawing, but to no avail. "Remember your duty to me!"

Wince. "Good bye... Wilhelm." Clutching Abel to him, he walked out the door. Catching only one last glimpse behind him, he quickened his pace, going as fast as he could without running.

Behind him, he could feel Wilhelm's aura simmering violently with emotions he could not clearly identify. "Again?" His silken voice rang out in disbelief through the hallways, and cracked within the mind. "Are you abandoning me again? Yeshua?"

As much as he tried, he could never erase from his memory, the brief glimpse of Wilhelm's stricken face as he had turned away. Such an expression, even when he had long known this would be his choice... Truly, it was difficult to accept for one such as Wilhelm, who was accustomed to playing fate like a fiddle. Wilhelm had known this, and still... Still...

"Yeshuaaaaa!"


End file.
